Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- August 12, 2012
Love and Truth… for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. Psalm 26:3
Walk in truth and be lead by love. These are twins of wise living. Love is our leader and truth our motivator. Love is our strategy and truth our tactic. Love is our goal and truth our inspiration. Love is our encouragement and truth our obedience. We need both to become better followers of Jesus. We are not under the bondage of the law, but we are under the sweet constraints of grace. Love, without truth, can be deceived with every new form of teaching. It can be easily swayed by emotion instead of remaining stable and confident in Christ. Truth without love becomes judgmental and harsh. It goes through the right motions while resentment builds unabated. Love and truth work together so we are able to live a compelling Christian life. They bring us into balance.
This is why we look forward to the love of God as a guide for our faith. Faith trusts God to accomplish His own decrees. This is why we do not have to steal, for we know God will provide for His children. This is why we do not have to get back at others in revenge, because God can and will handle them in His timing and in His way. This is what it means to be led by the love of God. You can trust God’s love to dispense justice when appropriate, and extend grace and forgiveness as needed. He sees the bigger picture and knows what is necessary to draw others closer to Christ. This is why we look ahead to the love of God. When we look to love as the leader, we trust. We follow love by faith.
Secondly, we walk grounded in truth. Truth governs our faith. Truth keeps us rooted in reality. It is obedience to God’s truth that proves our love for Him. Truth takes us back to the question, “What does the Almighty think I should be and do?” We walk in truth because it preserves us from sinful behavior. It is the assurance of God’s promises that causes us to imitate them as well as believe. Like a pilot who depends on instruments, radar, radio and GPS (Global Positioning System) to guide him on the best path to the right destination, so we walk in truth expecting the Lord’s best outcome. Some talk of truth, but it is much better to walk in truth. Some vow to do better in the future, but their resolutions come to nothing. Avoid those who say one thing and do another.
A companion of fools suffers harm (Proverbs 13:20). Stay away from those who stray from the truth. It may be a pastor, teacher, friend, or business client who handles the truth loosely. They lie even when the truth will do. These are vain people. Do not sit with them and be drawn in by their charisma. They are deceptive. However, those who walk in the truth will at times tell you things you do not want to hear. They are your internist on eternal matters. So listen when they prescribe doses of truth. The medicine may be bitter, but if applied, it will heal your heart. Therefore, walk in truth, and walk with those who walk in truth. Love leads and truth follows. Go with God. Go to Him often and receive gladly his infinite love and insightful truth. He is both.
Taken from Reading #17 in the 90-day devotional book, “Seeking God in the Psalms”… http://bit.ly/bQHNIE
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Okay agree with much of it but you see Jesus went with the sinners and the saints and well He ask’s us to do the same. Just not to partake in what they choose to take part in. Doesn’t I think mean go to a bar and not drink. Because you will talk to someone there and they most likely will not even remember what you said. So don’t go to the bar’s and put on Jesus, because sorry but that isn’t showing His light but the world’s light and the evil darkness sadly ahead and it will come to a end. Not in our timimg but His.
I agree completely
Thank you for posting this. I’ve been struggling with some relationships and this helped clarify a few things…
“a COMPANION of fools suffers harm”– it’s not to say you can’t minister to these people they’re just not the people you choose to hang out with every weekend. if you have a homosexual friend that knows it’s wrong in God’s eyes but is unwilling to change, that’s not the person you need to be your best friend. invite them to church, bible study, etc.
The reason for the increase of lawlessness in the world is the false teaching that Jesus nailed God’s Torah to the cross. Without law their can be no knowledge of sin, and sin is the transgression of God everlasting marriage covenant with His people Israel-The 10 commandments. Especially the fourth commandment. Ephesians 2, in proper context of Scriptural continuity from Genesis to Revelation, speaks of the enmity between the Jews and the Gentiles from which come the lost 10 tribes. Grace is God’s grafting of the gentiles into the cultivated olive tree- the One New Man. Ever since God open the door to let the gentiles come in we have been trying to throw God’s law, which is not burdensome, out the door and turn the Jewish Messiah into a more comfortable Gentile Jesus. Even Jesus said He didn’t come to destroy the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill. That not one jot nor tittle shall pass from the Torah until all be fulfilled. This will not happen until the thousand year reign of Messiah Yeshua, when “All Israel” is saved. Until you study the Jewish roots of your own Christianity, you will never understand the New Testament. The first church of Jerusalem was Jewish and spoke Hebrew too. Just studying the Hebrew Alphabet will reveal the Gospel from Genesis! It’s mind blowing! and until you circumcise the foreskin of your heart, that stubborn stiff-necked pride that says in the heart, “I don’t have to prove what I believe whether it is true or not, because I am saved by grace.” you are missing out in the great Messianic revival that is going to reap the greatest harvest of all. Please stop teaching this brother Boyd because you are going to held accountable by Yeshua Himself for deceiving thousands of already Babel-filled minds. God’s Original language-Hebrew, contains No contradictions. If the Law was gone, how could God have the right to label one a sheep, and another a goat? How could He judge the evildoers of the world? You must work out your own salvation. The Bible will prove itself to you, if you really Trust that it truly is His Word-the one who was with God in the beginning, and who is God, and by and through whom came the creation of all things, especially the 7th day of Rest which the Jews never lost track of. Hebrews 4:9 is horribly mistranslated. We are still bound to keep holy Shabbat. Spoken only in love my brother because God’s Law is pure, a light to our path, righteous, and is His perfect, loving grace. And it is the apostles doctrine. Pray about it and you will see. God bless you! 🙂